System and method for applying aggregated cable test result data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10097429-B2
Application number	US-201514951587-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2015
Priority date	Nov 25, 2015
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A system and method for aggregation of test result data includes a plurality of first testing devices configured to perform testing procedures to test cables of at least one communication network and to output associated first test result data. A cloud-based server device is coupled via a network to the plurality of first testing devices. The server device includes a database configured to store the first test result data and a processor. The processor is configured to determine a statistic associated with an aggregation of the first test result data output by the plurality of first testing devices. Second test result data is then received by the processor from a second testing device so as to be compared to the determined statistic and to output an indication of a result of the comparison.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for authenticating test result data, comprising:
a plurality of first testing devices configured to perform testing procedures to test cables of at least one communication network and to output first test result data based thereon; and
a cloud-based server device coupled via a network to the plurality of first testing devices, the server device including:
a database configured to store the first test result data; and
a processor configured to:
determine a statistic based on an aggregation of the first test result data output by the plurality of first testing devices;
receive second test result data from a second testing device configured to perform testing procedures to test cables of the at least one communication network and output the second test result data based thereon;
compare the second test result data to the statistic;
determine an authentication status of the second test result data based on the comparison of the second test result data to the statistic; and
output an indication of a suspicious activity based on the authentication status.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a difference between members of respective pairs of the first test result data for possible pair combinations of the first test result data;
detect one or more patterns in the determined differences;
compare the second test result data to the one or more patterns; and
output an indication of a suspicious activity based on the comparison to the one or more patterns.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to update at least one of the statistic and the one or more patterns based on the second test result data.

4. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the statistic and difference are related to a time associated with testing procedures performed on at least one of the cables.

5. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the statistic and difference are related to a number of times that testing procedures have been performed on one of the cables in order to obtain first test result data that meets a predefined specification.

6. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the statistic and difference are related to a number of operators using the plurality of first testing devices to perform at least one of the testing procedures.

7. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the statistic and difference are related to a length of cable or an amount of cables tested by at least one of the testing procedures.

8. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the authentication status of the second test result data using the aggregation of the first test result data and the one or more patterns.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the determination of the authentication status includes detecting whether the second test result data at least one of: duplicates an instance of the first test result data; is associated with testing of a particular cable multiple times under the guise of testing multiple cables; and results from testing of a particular cable multiple times using different patch cords under the guise of testing multiple cables.

10. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the determination of the authentication status includes detecting whether the second test result data miscorrelates with a corresponding testing report using the aggregation of the first test result data and at least one of the statistic and the one or more patterns.

11. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to correlate an environmental condition with an effect on the first test result data using the aggregation of the first test result data and at least one of the statistic and the one or more patterns.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to predict an effect on a cable of a communication network in response to an environmental condition based on the correlation of the environmental condition with the first test result data.

13. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the environmental condition is selected from at least one of temperature, humidity, and electromagnetic interference.

14. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to measure performance of an operator of the second testing device using the aggregation of the first test result data and at least one of the statistic and the one or more patterns.

15. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first testing devices are selected from a collection of first testing devices based on at least one of a characteristic of the cables, one or more customers using the cables for data communication, and identification of an operator that operated the plurality of first testing devices.

16. A cloud-based computer server comprising:
a memory configured to store executable instructions;
a processor disposed in communication with the memory, wherein upon execution of the instructions the processor is configured to:
receive first test result data output by a plurality of first testing devices and associated with testing procedures performed by the plurality of first testing devices to test cables of at least one communication network;
determine a statistic based on an aggregation of the first test result data output by the plurality of first testing devices;
receive second test result data from a second testing device;
compare the second test result data to the statistic;
determine an authentication status of the second test result data based on the comparison of the second test result data to the statistic; and
output an indication of a suspicious activity based on the authentication status.

17. The cloud-based computer server according to claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a difference between members of respective pairs of the first test result data for possible pair combinations of the first test result data;
detect one or more patterns in the determined differences;
compare the second test result data to the one or more patterns; and
output an indication of a suspicious activity based on the comparison to the one or more patterns.

18. The cloud-based computer server according to claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the authentication status of the second test result data using the aggregation of the first test result data and the one or more patterns.

19. A method of authenticating test result data, comprising:
determining a statistic based on an aggregation of first test result data output by a plurality of first testing devices configured to perform testing procedures to test cables of at least one communication network and output the first test result data based thereon;
receiving second test result data from a second testing device configured to perform testing procedures to test cables of the at least one communication network and output the second test result data based thereon;
comparing the second test result data to the statistic;
determining an authentication status of the second test result data based on the comparison of the second test result data to the statistic; and
outputting an indication of a suspicious activity based on the authentication status.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
determining a difference between members of respective pairs of the first t

Assignees

• Fluke Corp

Inventors

• Bezold David E
• Schell J David
• O'Hara Steve

Classifications

• H04L43/045 Primary

  for graphical visualisation of monitoring data · CPC title

• G06F11/2294

  by remote test · CPC title

• G06F11/221 Primary

  to test buses, lines or interfaces, e.g. stuck-at or open line faults · CPC title

• H04L43/50 Primary

  Testing arrangements · CPC title